As I’ve done for my last seven years, I’ve spent a week in UK.
This is a photo on my way back to the airport yesterday.
I enjoyed the view with the contrasts, the dark with the white. Which side did you catch first?
Contrasts – UK
Category: iPhone
Apple’s Free App of the Week – Spark Camera
Apple is marketing a new app each week. An app that will be given away for free for a limited time. This week the free app is Spark Camera. After Thursday it will be back on normal price level ($1.99)
Description from App Store
App Store Best of 2013 and Apple Editors’ Choice
Spark Camera supports iPhone 4S and higher.
Shoot, edit and share beautiful movies in seconds with Spark. Here’s how it works:•Press & hold anywhere to record, release to stop
•Do this as many times as you’d like to create multiple clips
•Slide to change filters during playback
•Tap the music note to add a song from your library
•Tap the save button to save to your camera roll
•Share on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, iMessage, or email!Spark lets you to record, enhance, and share life’s best moments through beautiful HD videos. What ignites a spark in your life? A gorgeous sunrise, an afternoon with friends at the beach, a kid’s smile… whatever it may be, the world is full of inspirational moments; capture them with Spark Camera.
Features:
•Take as many Sparks as you’d like
•Create HD 720p videos
•Add music from your music collection
•Apply high quality filters
•String together up to 45 seconds of footage
•Share via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, iMessage, and AirDrop
•Delete the last clip captured if you want to reshoot
•Have unlimited Sparks in progress
•Save to your Spark gallery as well as your camera rollFinal Cut
• Import videos from camera roll
• Rearrange clips
• Delete any clip
• Trim beginning or ending of clips
Current Best Photo Editor App for iPhone / iPad – Photo Toaster
During the time of this blog I’ve now and then written reviews about best photo apps for iPhone / iPad. Some of the apps have been about the editing part, while others have been filter apps and so on. There haven’t been one app that has it all.
Now we’re close to that; the new version of Photo Toaster brings together almost all of my apps into one.
The apps that I’ve used most frequent has been Photoshop Express, for reducing noise, and handling levels like exposure, temp, tint, saturation and so on. 645 Pro for B/W. Snapseed and Photo Editor for harder effects and so on. All these features are now available in one single app – Photo Toaster.
Even though I think that Photoshop Express still is better at reducing the noise, Photo Toaster is “good enough”, and I guess I can say that about all those features. The benefit of keeping all of those features into one app is higher than the workflow of using several apps.
And on the topic of workflow. I really like that shortcut to the “recent edits”. Great small feature which saves a lot of time.
The app is currently priced at $2.99 and I think that it may be your best $2.99 investment at the moment.
Since my on/off button is broken which leaves my out of an easy way to take screen dumps, I’ve just attached the app’s own preview.
Best wishes for Saturday
More posts about iPhone apps could be found here:
List of previous posts about apps
Current Best iPhone Photo Apps in my opinion 1
Current Best iPhone Photo Apps in my opinion 2
The Best Things Comes In Small Packages?
During the last days almost all the major brands have released new camera models. What they all have in common is that the size of the camera houses are getting significantly smaller.
Sony released the tiny A7 with full frame sensor, and yet changeable lenses. A camera that I think looks really interesting. Review here
Panasonic released their GX7. Once again, a tiny camera with a really impressive specification. In this case a Micro Four Third sensor. Full review here
Also Nikon release a new model of their smallest DSLR, the D5300. Now with WiFi, GPS and enhanced ISO-performance.
They all have one thing in common, the demand for smaller cameras are increasing. Can you imagine watching a photographer in the year of 2020 with a 40 cm lens? Neither can I.
What I think may drive the camera manufacturers might be the increasing quality in our everyday smartphones. For every day they are getting more and more traction, and I guess the smallest pocket cameras have a really tough battle to fight against the phones.
If you haven’t seen any images from the new iPhone 5S, that is one of the opponents of the traditional pocket cameras, I can recommend this good article.
Free iPhone photo app review – Vintage
This is quite traditional filter-app The difference between this and most of the current filter-apps may be that there are fewer filters to use, and filters that are the opposite of subtle.
I’m not the biggest fan of using filters, but when I use them I want to use them in a way that it really shows that filter’s been used. With that said, this app contains some really nice ones, if you like to use filters.
If you download the free app you’ll have to live with some ads, but I don’t think that they are too annoying.
The test photo is a photo I took with my iPhone 5. Below it, you’ll find the same photo after the Vintage app is used, and at the bottom you’ll find two screen shots.
One of the best new features in iOS7 – a well kept secret?
This may not come out as a new “sexy”, hot feature in the new iOS, but I think it’s one of the best; the possibility to use several networks at the same time – Multipath TCP.
Before Multipath TCP you could experience a lost internet connection when you were connected to internet through WiFi, and the connection suddenly went down. All traffic on the phone also went down, instead of just using 3G/4G. This is now possible. If the WIFI-connections goes down, the phone will seamlessly use the fastest connection instead, of the lost WiFi-connection. Great improvement!
I guess this will result in more mobile traffic, but the user experience will improve significantly.
For a more technical report -> Click here
For a free mobile background -> Click here
For some tips on iOS7 -> Click here
iPhone 5S – First Impression – Hands On HD
From Dan B, on YouTube
From Techradar
iPhone iOS 7 – Some thoughts after using the new iOS for a month
Some thoughts about iOS7 after using it for one month
Since we’re developing apps for iOS I’m part of the beta testing team that will use their coming upgrades before they are released, and report issues back to Apple, to have them corrected.
(See also – One of the best new features in iOS7 – a well kept secret?)
This new upgrade is both a big upgrade, at the same time as it’s not. It’s big in terms of GUI, the icons are “flat” now instead of “floating”/3D. I really don’t know if I like this more than the old one. I’ve got used to it, but at the same time I miss some of the old beautiful icons. It’s a small change in the overall usage.
One new feature is the possibility to have more than one screen in each icon-folder, but at the same time there are fewer icons in every screen. Both good and bad there as well.
The camera has been upgraded and I think it has gotten better with live filters, easier access to functions and some new nice features as “square” for all instagrammers (my nick is btw on instagram is @pedrohansson).
What I thought for almost 24 hours was a big flaw in this new OS, was that I couldn’t reach spotlight to the left of my home screen. With over 600 apps installed that it was a downgrade. But of course there was a new way of doing that, that actually is better. Wherever you are in your iOS-screens you can just put your finger on the screen, hold it down for a short time and drag it down. Voila! There’s spotlight.
The new fast access screen (that you access by dragging your finger from the bottom upwards) is also a highly appreciated function that should’ve been there years ago.
Siri seems to have had a major upgrade. A more personalized feeling and I think a better understanding of follow-up questions. It’s starting to be really impressing.
What is really nice in the new iOS is the multi tasking screen where you can reach all apps that currently are running. This screen is now a full screen with “live shots” from each and every app running. Great GUI!
What’s more to say? Well there are many many small changes here and there and I think this is a really good new iOS. I just wonder if it’s enough to keep the Androids behind.
I will continue to use iPhone since my whole home is built around it, AND it’s always working which I think is the number one feature with the iPhone. You just start it and use. No need to turn off GPS, no need for “app killers” since they are running out your batteries and so on. So Apple, I will stick with you for a while more, but I hope we will see some new cool, mind blowing functionality, in the future, as we were used to in the past.
Free Mobile Background – iOS7 lock screen
This is a photo I took with my old iPhone 4S in Gothenburg last year. It’s also my current iPhone background. If you would like to use it, I’ll give it a way; free to use. Just click on the image down below, and the source photo will be opened. Right click on the newly opened image, save image, and then it’s ready for import to your phone.
P.S If you haven’t seen the next layout for Apple iPhones / iPads (iOS) this is it’s lock screen D.S
Paid iPhone Photo App that’s currently free – Lapse It Pro
Lapse It Pro – Time Lapse App
From iTunes
Lapse It is an award-winning full featured app for capturing amazing time lapse and stop motion videos. It is easy, fast and intuitive.
No need for expensive photography equipment, you just need Lapse It.• Featured on the English TV Show “The Gadget Show” http://youtu.be/QjjayQVHnrk
• “Looking to do time-lapse with your mobile device? Lapse It is a very appealing option” by Erez Zukerman, PCWorld
• “Lapse It is by far the best time lapse application I’ve come across so far” by Robert Iagar, AppStorm
Love locks – A loving trend
During the last month I’ve visited Malta and Amsterdam and of course spent time in my hometown Stockholm. In almost every scenic place around the world people are getting more frequent in hanging up locks to show their feelings for one another.
The tradition is to right something on the lock, hang it on a bridge, a wire or anywhere with the scenery behing it, lock it, and then throw away the key.
In these secular times, maybe this is a modern way of getting married?
All the photos are taken with iPhone 5.
Olloclip Photo part 2
I previously had a post about my purchase of the Olloclip Macro lens for iPhone. I really start
to appreciate the small format, but at the same time I also appreciate it’s form which makes it easier to find in the pocket (compared to previous lenses).
If you are interested in finding more photos from Olloclip, you can find them in my instagram feed at http://instagram.com/pedrohansson
Tested: Olloclip for iPhone 5, part 1
This will be my first post in a series of two where I try one of the three lenses in total that comes with the Olloclip package. It can also be found on my more technical site: http://lifeinsumpan.com
With my previous iPhones I really enjoyed using those small macro lenses that could be attached on the phone by using a simple cover (Tested in a previous post). Now I’ve bought a similar lens for my iPhone 5, from Olloclip.
The price tag differs quite much from the old lens. For this lens Apple Store want’s $100, which I think is rather expensive and I guess that it could be found for far less money than that in other stores than Apples own store.
This lens is attached to the phone by sliding it over the edge of the iPhone 5, and over the camera lens. The first impression of this solution is that even though it’s nice to use a lens like this without attaching some kind of magnet, or using a complete cover it doesn’t feel tight enough. It really feels that the lens might slide off someday.
With all that said it’s really easy to bring the lens, and maybe I will use this more than the previous one for the iPhone 4S.
Summary – Olloclip Macro lens: I really enjoy the possibility to be able to take macro photos with the phone, even though it’s hard to keep the subjects still and get a sharp image, but the possibility in itself, to see nature and other things better than it’s possible with the real eye is a real thrill sometimes. So if you have $100 lying around somewhere, and enjoy the creative part in getting up close with things, you’ll have a good time as long as you don’t drop the lens due to the light fixing.
FX Photo Studio for iOS – free for one day
If you like to experience with apps in your iOS device, maybe FX Photo Studio may be something for you? Since it’s free for one day, it may be worth a download, at least for checking it out.
Best wishes for a new week
Part of Searching for Sugarman, made by using an iPhone
Who would’ve thought that part of an Oscar Award winning movie would be made by using an iPhone? Well now it’s true.
Yesterday the Swedish Movie, Searching for Sugar man was awarded an Oscar at the yearly film festival. As almost every film production this was also a costly one. At the end of the project they ran out of money, but as true artists they found a way by using a traditional iPhone, together with the iPhone app 8 mm Vintage Camera.
This is an image from Tuesday night in London that I shared on Instagram.
I don’t think that I’ve posted my address on Instagram before. If you wanna follow me there; you’ll find me on pedrohansson.
It would be great to know your accounts there as well, feel free to leave your user name in the comment area.
Saarimner on Facebook
As an experiment I’ve set up a page on Facebook. The page will be a way to be noticed when there are new things published on this blog. It may also be a better way to share thoughts and ideas in a better way?
The link to the new page is http://www.facebook.com/saarimner
Welcome to visit
My current top iPhone Photo Apps
One of my first posts on this blog was about which iPhone Photo-apps I preferred. And since then I now and then have posted and reposted that list.
(link to app-store) – From my previous post
If you like filters and sharing images with the rest of the world you’ll love Instagram (my nickname on Instagram is @pedrohansson). I’m surprised how creative and actually really beautiful images that are shared at Instagram. And many of those just using their iPhone (1) What I think separates Instagram from many other “filter-apps” is their strength as a company. You can feel the quality.
© Pedro Hansson – iPhone-Image using Instagram-app
Upplands Väsby Sweden
(1) A portion of the images at Instagram are shot with professional equipment
Perfectly Clear
One of the downsides with “phone-photo” is usually noise, and dealing with the small sensor. With this app I’ve rescued many images that sometimes get to dark, with to much noise, and so on.
It’s not a traditional photo app with ton’s of filters and picture bending operations, but it’s a great tool to use to enhance images.
Camera+
Link to the company:
I think that almost everyone that’s interested in taking pictures with the iPhone have come across this app. In my opinion it’s one of the easiest out there to use, and it comes with quite a lot of features as well.
Here’s a youtube review of the app:
Snapseed
Link to the company: http://www.snapseed.com
Link to app-store: https://itunes.apple.com/se/app/snapseed/id439438619?mt=8
I downloaded Snapseed quite a long time ago (in technology terms) and I immediately liked the GUI. Professional and really easy to use at the same time. I can’t say that this app is the best in terms of amount of filters or in number of parameters you can change, but I think it’s one of the best apps in quality and GUI.
- Startscreen in Snapseed
Photoshop Express
(link to app store) – From my previous post
I guess Adobe don’t need any further presentation. In the image-industry they are one of the biggest, and the Photoshop-software have been around for quite awhile. With Photoshop Express you get one feature that I think is necessary if you’re keen on getting the noise out of your pictures, Noise Reduction (this feature is actually the single feature that I use in this app but Noise is almost always a problem when you’re using mobile phone cams so I use it on almost every pic I share).
Below you have the same picture, with and without the reduce noise function in Photoshop Express.
iPhone-image of Visby sunset without reduce noise function (Click image for large version)
Same picture as above, but now with reduce noise (Click image for large version)
A note to using this function is that, when you reduce noise, also loose details so the result will, as always, differ depending on what you want to show. Photoshop is free but you have to spend a few bucks on getting the Reduce Noise Function
Pro-HDR
Link to the company: http://www.eyeapps.com/Home.html
Link to app-store: link to App-store
One of the apps that I’m using the most. The iPhones built-in functionality for HDR is quite good but this app is so far ahead in terms of control and image quality. If you don’t know what HDR is and are interested in getting some new ideas for your photographic session I suggest that you look into it. In short HDR is using several exposures (over- and under exposed) to create one image. By using several exposures you can use the lighter information in the under exposed image and vice versa. HDR-apps can also being used for creating motion and ghost-like effects.
Another side-effect with HDR is that you can find colors that otherwise aren’t possible due to over- and under exposure-difficulties.
A side effect of using two images is that you need keep the camera absolute still, otherwise you get some blurry effects.
© Pedro Hansson – iPhone HDR-image of
South Kensington Station in London
I hope you can use some of the app-tips above. Happy for comments. What is your best photo-app and how do you use it?
PhotoToaster
Link to the company: http://www.eastcoastpixels.com/cgi-bin/product.php?p=4
Link to the app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/phototoaster-photo-editor/id433671262?mt=8
This is, together with ProHDR and Photoshop Express the photoapp I’m using the most. I started off with using the “junior-version” but upgraded to the full version later. What I really enjoy with PhotoToaster is that it has some really nice filters to enhance the picture without making them look “too funky”. Focus on many of the filters are almost like a pre-set Photoshop app.
- © Pedro Hansson – photo of Piteå City Church in PhotoToaster JR
Powercam
Link to the company: http://powercam.wondershare.com
Link to the app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/powercam/id453180850?mt=8
The last app on this list is PowerCam. This is app that I only use when I wan’t to do Tilt-shift images. With Tilt-shift I don’t just mean the effect when things will look like a miniature world. I use it more frequently when I wan’t a nice bokeh (from Wikipedia: the blur,or the aesthetic quality of the blur, in out-of-focus areas of an image). This app does that better than any of the other I’ve tried on the market.
- © Pedro Hansson – Photo taken at Liffeys in Stockholm with PowerCam
What I see through my iPhone lens – Stockholm Söder
It was a cold and moist evening in Stockholm. One of those evenings when the sky is pitch dark, and the lights hit, in contrast to the sky, the ground with that magical reflection. While walking at Söder, towards Medborgarplatsen I thought that the lighting, and the people walking to their next destination felt really special.
Soundtracking for Spotify, iOS and Android – new app to share and discover music, with your Instagram pics attached
I’ve just logged in to the app Soundtracking on my Spotify account, right after I’ve got the news about this new music and image sharing app. I think the idea behind the app is really good; to instantly and easy share your music among your friends straight from your mobile or from within Spotify and add your own Instagram pics attached to your suggestions.
My user name in the app is (of course 🙂 ) saarimner; so if you wan’t to find your first friend there just add me.
As you might have discovered in the screen capture above I didn’t figure out that I should have deleted the first image from my first choice 🙂
If you’re using Spotify you’ll find the app under the app finder on the left hand side. It’s currently down on 28:th place in the app list, but as it’s featured in the app suggestions so I guess that may change rapidly.
For me it sounded a bit strange at first to mix your music suggestions with your images, but the more I think about it, I guess it’s all about creativity and I think they’ll actually fit quite well together.
In the iOS app you find all the functionality you’re searching for easy accesible. If you’re used to use apps like Shazaam for capturing music around you, you’ll find a way to that as well in the app. On the downside, if you don’t have a Spotify account you’ll just have the possibility to listen to previous or buy the songs from iTunes. Other than that I really think that this will be an app that I use quite often to discover and share new music and fitting pics to it.
If you currently are a user, or you try it out for the first time it would be great to hear you thoughts around it.
Take care
Being upright – a way to a more successful living?
As I’ve written in the Photography section I’ve just arrived back home after a few days abroad together with a colleague of mine. On these journeys there is always an opportunity to talk about things that there otherwise isn’t time to talk about (during normal work weeks). On this journey I think the main topic was being upright, and why people so often choose the opposite.
First of all, I really need to point out that no one is perfect, and there are certainly times when I don’t live up to this myself; and of course sometimes you don’t have the possibility to tell everyone everything due to keeping a secret for a friend/family, directions from the board or there are just plain simple business secrets that prevent you from being as upright as you wish.
BUT, those things aside I strongly believe that being upright will make a person (all others aspects alike) more successful, in their lives. When you experience the opposite – people that doesn’t speak up for their opinions, I sometimes wonder why they aren’t.
We started talking about this when we had a discussion about a customer project, and we’ve always felt that this company is so easy to work with because they are always telling their opinion, and when we know their stand point it’s really easy for us to decide whether we have the possibility to be a good supplier or not. The company in mind is a really successful one, and I think one of the reasons is actually that they are “hard” in many peoples minds because they always speak up their mind, but I think the opposite.
Over the years when I’ve been in the fortunate position of being a customer I must say that I’m sometimes surprised how many sellers/business men react when they’re meeting an upright opinion about their product, their services and so on.
In my personal life I think this is as important as in the business life, BUT of course when you speak about personal matters (which might as well be personal matters in your professional life) there are so many aspects that needs to be addressed that it’s often harder to just being upright. If you don’t pay respect to the other parties person, you might end up on a difficult route.
I think I could write about this for pages, but as this is just a thought so far, I’m leaving the subject here. This is more of a moral, and actually business compass for myself. When we’re choosing and working with our partners, suppliers and customers (yes we’re choosing customers as well to make sure that both parties can achieve success) this is one of the key components.
What’s your opinion on this matter?
I hope you all have a great start of the week.
iPhone Photo App Review – 645 PRO
At the moment I’m in Barcelona for work. While being here I’ve tried out a new photo app – 645 Pro. This is quite different iPhone photo app than many others due to it’s layout, and ambition to be a “close to professional” iPhone app.
I really like the graphical layout and the feeling in the app, but sometimes the adjustments are a little bit tricky due to it’s tiny buttons. On the other hand I wouldn’t (like one of the comments indicated in App Store) like to have a smaller preview screen either so I guess it’s just a matter of priority.
At the moment I’ve just used it for essentially B&W-photos which I think are really good. I especially like the feeling the B&W pics get. On the other hand I think that one of the best strengths is the quality and control factor (like the focus handling and live preview solution), but I haven’t explored all the possibilities yet. I can comment on that in a later post.
This is an app that I think I personally will use more and more often because there are continuously things to explore within the app, and sometimes – as other things in life – the best things are the one’s where you don’t see it all on your first look.
A long day
This has been a really long day, starting at 03.30, and will end at 00.30. I’ve always enjoyed those early morning flights, watching the sunrise from above.
Today I took another seat, on the other side of the plane and instead was able to watch the full moon. This is a pic of the moon from the plane window. The filter that’s been used is magic hour.
Time to board our flight back…
Stockholm through my iPhone lens – NK, a little bit more creative
This is a photography of NK, a store in the middle of Stockholm. I normally don’t like too heavy usage of filtering, but I think it worked pretty ok in this photo. The photo is taken with Pro HDR for getting both the “motion-effext of people walking” as well as more depth in over- underexpsed areas, and edited with Snapseed and Phototoaster for the more artistic feeling.
Hope you’ll have a great sunday, and don’t get tooo fooled
Current best iPhone Photo Apps in my opinion
One of my first posts on this blog was about which iPhone Photo-apps I prefered. Well, those things change when apps get updated and new apps are developed, so I thought I’d share my best apps at this moment.
Snapseed
I downloaded Snapseed quite a long time ago (in technology terms) and I immediately liked the GUI. Professional, and really easy to use at the same time. I can’t say that this app is the best in terms of the amount of filters, or in number of parameters you can change, but I think it’s one of the best apps when it comes to quality and GUI.
- Startscreen in Snapseed
Photoshop Express (link to app store) – From my previous post
In the image-industry Adobe are one of the biggest players, and the Photoshop-software have been around for quite awhile. With Photoshop Express you get one feature that I think is necessary if you’re keen on getting the noise out of your pictures, Noise Reduction. This feature is actually the one ingle feature that I use in this app, but since Noise often is a problem when you’re using mobile phone, I use it on almost every pic I share.
Below you have the same picture, with and without the reduce noise function in Photoshop Express.
iPhone-image of Visby sunset without reduce noise function (Click image for large version)
Same picture as above, but now with reduce noise (Click image for large version)
A note to those that will use this function is that, when you reduce noise, you also loose details so the result will, as always, differ depending on what you want to show. In the images above I’ve tried to show this. Photoshop is free but you have to spend a few bucks on getting the Reduce Noise Function.
Instagram (link to app-store) – From my previous post
If you like filters, and sharing images with the rest of the world, you’ll love Instagram (my nickname at Instagram is pedrohansson). I’m surprised how creative, and actually really beautiful images that are shared at Instagram. And many of those just taken with their iPhone (1) What I think separates Instagram from many other “filter-apps” is Instagrams strength as a company. You can feel the quality in all their software.
© Pedro Hansson – iPhone-Image using Instagram-app
Upplands Väsby Sweden
Pro-HDR (link to App-store)
Pro-HDR is one of the apps that I’m using the most. The iPhones built-in functionality for HDR is quite good, but this app is so far ahead in terms of control and image quality. If you don’t know HDR from before, and are interested in getting some new ideas for your photographic sessions, I suggest that you look into it.
In short HDR is a technique where you are using several exposures (over- and under exposed) to create one image. By using several exposures you can use the lighter information from the under exposed image, and vice versa. HDR-apps can also be used for creating motion and ghost-like effects.
The hard part, when you’re HDR is to keep the camera absolute still, otherwise you get some blurry effects.
© Pedro Hansson – iPhone HDR-image of
South Kensington Station in London
I hope you can use some of the app-tips above. Happy for comments. What is your best photo-app and how do you use it?
(1) A portion of the images at Instagram are shot with professional equipment
Stockholm through my iPhone lens – Goes skiing
Saturday was my last day going downhill this year. This is an image that I took on Saturday from the top of Vemdalen.
The app that’s been used is Photo Toaster. I also removed some small blemishes. Otherwise it’s straight out of the toaster!
I hope you’ll have a great start of your week.
Beautiful day in Stockholm
Today is the first day that really feels like winter. On my way to work I had to walk through leafs that were all covered with frost, and I had premiere in wiping the ice from the cars windows. But it’s a really beautiful day with blue skies.
Really looking forward to the first snow.
Stockholm, early morning – Drottninggatan
In Stockholm we have a pedestrian street called Drottninggatan where the city council have put down famous quotes in shiny steel. This is a picture from earlier today on my way to work when the streets were still pretty empty.
Top 100 iPhone apps
As some of you might know I’m totally addicted to new apps in my iPhone, and quite frankly I’m surprised how often I use many of these apps. The last time I counted I had 540 apps installed, and it’s increasing almost every day. A little embarrassing, isn’t it?
It’s very rare that such an app-addicted person as me finds a list with totally new apps, this great top-100 list is doing just that! Go ahead and check it out! Best iPhone-list I’ve seen so far.
Saarimner.com 
